


[Spray]paint me like one of your french girls

by Hopeless_Hogwartian394



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alix teaches Marinette how to spray paint, Alya is Rena Rouge, And Alya suffers, Anyway this is the fault of the Alyanette discord, F/F, Fluff, I wrote most of this in one go instead of doing my readings, Identity Reveal, Sabine Cheng is the real MVP, because i was Inspired™, i love my oblivious sapphic children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 03:42:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15548829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hopeless_Hogwartian394/pseuds/Hopeless_Hogwartian394
Summary: Alix teaches Marinette how to spray paint, and Marinette starts painting bright, colourful paintings in places she knows Alya will see them. This transitions into paintings of all Paris' superheroes, and if Marinette's imagination means that some of them end up being more wishful thinking, then it's only all of Paris that will know.It's all anonymous, anyhow. Alya will never find out.





	[Spray]paint me like one of your french girls

It really is all Alix’s fault that she’s dying. Alya hates to be overdramatic, really, she does, but it’s the truth.

It all started when Marinette started spending more time in the art room. As in, more than usual (which had been a lot), because it turned out that Alix had been teaching her to spray paint. And she got really good. Alya knows this, because now there are murals that Marinette has painted  _all. over. Paris._ There’s even an Instagram, and Alya is dying inside. 

Marinette started spray painting actual murals at some point during their bac.  Alya distinctly remembers the first time she ran across one of them. She was sleep deprived and seeing a building plastered with a spray painted floral mural and Marinette’s signature on her way to to school one morning caused her to spit out her coffee. It was incredible, and when she corners Marinette before class, her friend admits that she did do it, and how Alix has been helping her. There’s a funny little twinge in Alya’s chest that feels bizarrely like jealousy when Marinette confesses that particular detail. 

They’re everywhere after that. They're always gorgeous, brightly coloured and brilliantly executed, and never fail to brighten her day. No-one ever sees her do them, very people even know who the artist is, and Alya finds them everywhere she goes. The bright colours, gorgeous designs, and aura of positivity pepper her days, all the way through the bac and into university, which is when Alya’s life really starts to get complicated. 

She’s a superhero these days, properly and all the time, ever since Ladybug showed up at her window three days after she finished her bac and handed her the box with the fox necklace and Trixx. She’s a superhero, and a university student, and she’s still running the Ladyblog and maybe sort of writing small articles for other papers and long story short she’s a very busy person. The first superhero art shows up directly opposite her university three days before her end of semester exams. It’s enormous, the largest one Marinette has ever painted, and it shows all five of them leaping across roof tops, and it’s _gorgeous_ , and also exactly what they had being doing the other night, which. weird. Marinette must have seen them from her balcony that night. 

The murals continue, sometimes emblazoned with encouraging slogans, all the superheroes in different combinations. There’s one of Queen Bee and Ladybug flying through the air, Ladybug with wings she doesn't have in reality, another of Carapace and Chat Noir tag-teaming a recent akuma, her own superhero persona rendered in bold lines beside Queen Bee and Carapace in a triad of awesomeness, Ladybug and Chat Noir replicated from one of their first fights (she thinks it might be Le Pharaoh). Every single one of them she photographs and places on the Ladyblog, and every single one of them is fucking incredible. The identity of the mysterious graffiti artist becomes a hotly debated topic amongst the Ladyblog commenters and Alya enlists Nino just to be able to moderate them all.  

The worst of all these artworks are the ones where Rena Rouge and Ladybug are painted next to each other. Every time Marinette poses them next to each other, the painted Ladybug has an arm curled around Rena’s shoulders, or her waist, or, worst of all, holding her _hand_. Marinette is _awful_. It makes Alya feel all fluttery inside, and really, how she picked up on Alya’s slight crush on the hero, Alya has no idea. The paintings almost make her crush worse, because they always make it seem as though Ladybug reciprocates, which is impossible, Alya is sure. This is mostly because Ladybug is so sure of herself, and also knows who Alya is when she isn’t Rena Rouge, and really, Ladybug is very clearly not interested in Rena. When she corners Marinette about it, she stutters and blushes (adorably) pink before stammering out something about the Ladyblog and what sounds like “saw someone talking about it”, which. huh. Alya clearly needs to monitor the comment sections more, or possibly have a talk with Nino. 

Alya goes about her days being steadily reminded of the soft burn of her crush every time she passes one of these murals, and is cheered up by the ones that show her team happy and having fun (they're always smiling, from Ladybug wearing a broad grin to Chat’s devilish smirk and Queen Bee’s too rare, tiny smile). She finds herself obsessively checking the Instagram (@rue-mari, because Alix has the _worst_  sense of humour), and watching Ladybug more than her teammates or any of the akuma, both in costume and out.

Okay so this might be more than just a little crush. She still isn’t going to do anything about it. Instead, she buries herself in her friends, her schoolwork, and every other responsibility she can get her hands on. Sometimes she cracks and sleeps over at Marinette’s so that they can eat ice-cream and Alya can wail about having feelings and Marinette will blush and nod and commiserate with her over pain au chocolat and macarons. Life is, well, life is interesting. Alya has fun being a superhero and saving Paris and starting to get the opportunities to write proper articles for newspapers and websites that her high school self dreamed about. She’s enjoying herself, she really is. 

And then it happens. She’s just had a submission to a magazine that she worked really hard on and poured her heart into turned down, second year university has her swamped with work and assignments, and there have been no less than three late night akuma attacks this week. Long story short, Alya is stressed. She is walking to her favourite café on her way to uni in the morning and stops dead when she turns onto the street it’s on because directly opposite the café is a spray painted image of Rena Rouge and Ladybug. They're side by side, pressed together from shoulder to hip, arms curled around each other. Marinette is clearly trying to kill her because she can see Rena’s hand is on Ladybug’s hip and Ladybug is _kissing_ _Rena’s cheek_. Alya thinks she might just about combust on the spot. She has not had enough sleep for this, she really hasn't. She needs coffee before she can even think about processing this, especially now she’s notices the faint blush Marinette has painted on Ladybug’s cheeks. 

She doesn't get the chance to ask Marinette about her latest art for three weeks. They're both inconveniently busy and their schedules don’t match up at all during that time and every time she gets coffee on her way to university, she can feel her cheeks heating up. The mural haunts her dreams, coming to life sometimes in front of her and. Well. Let's just say, she has reason to be blushing all the time. Superhero patrols are the worst. She's practically blushing near constantly, and it’s _awful_. The worst part is, the mural is really good. She can’t pretend otherwise. It means that her imagination has a _lot_  to go on. She also can’t find it in herself to post the mural on the Ladyblog. She has commenters asking her about it every day, but to post it would be to make it real in a way that the actual art doesn’t. Murals can be painted over, but once it’s on the internet, it can never be fully erased. It would be like admitting to the world that this is what she wants.

Three weeks after she first saw the mural, she finally corners Marinette while her friend is working a shift at the boulangerie, and Alya finally has the morning off at the same time. She walks into the boulangerie where Marinette is tag-teaming with her mum. She has flour in her hair and on the tip of her nose, and she’s laughing as she serves customers, and quite frankly that apron should not make her look as cute as it does. Alya’s stomach feels a little fuzzy and weird, like she’s had too much coffee. There’s a line, which she shuffles into before Marinette sees her, and waits patiently as she inches closer to the counter. When the line clears, only Sabine is standing in front of her, and she can feel her smile slip a little. Sabine just chuckles. “She’s in the back, Alya”, she says and gestures her behind the counter. “Go take her out for coffee, she needs the break.” 

Alya nods. “Thanks Sabine,” she calls as she heads out the back. Marinette is standing next to her dad as the pair of them work on making pastries for the boulangerie. Marinette now has flour all down the front of her apron and streaked across her forehead and she’s laughing as her dad teases her. Alya feels that twisting feeling again. Marinette glances over her shouder and her grin shrinks as her laughter stutters into silence. “Hey Marinette,” Alya says, faking a smile she doesn’t quite feel. “I’m here take you out.” Marinette’s face turns bright red under the flour all over it, and what she’s just said registers in her brain. She feels her cheeks flush and buries her face in her hands. "That's not what I meant!" She takes he hands away from her face and looks up. Next to Marinette, Tom is very clearly trying to hold back his laughter. Marinette herself is blushing more furiously than before. Alya sucks in a deep breath. "I meant, your mum told me to take you out. For coffee. As friends. For a break.” She’s not stammering, but if this is how Marinette feels when she talks to people she likes, no wonder its so hard for her to get words out. Alya doesn't think she’s ever felt so awkward in her life. 

Marinette takes a deep breath in as her dad nudges her, and wow is it weird to not be the one encouraging Marinette through her awkwardness. She can see Marinette pulling her courage together before her best friend opens her mouth. “O-okay Alya”, she says, “Let-lemme just go clean up.” That makes her chuckle, because Marinette really does need to get rid of at least some of the flour, cute as it is, before she can leave the building. Marinette smooths her apron down and then grimaces. “and also change my pants, I think,” she says, because while the apron has protected her upper half, her jeans are coated with flour, front and back. She smiles at Alya, nervously quick and fleeting, before ducking out of the room to go change, leaving Alya alone with a Tom who’s amusement was barely muffled. 

She renters the room after Tom has given into his amusement and has been guffawing on the couch for at least 5 minutes. Alya notices her the second he enters the room and is relieved for the distraction and her excuse to leave. She strides over to Marinette and grabs her hand, ignoring her alarmed squeak in favour of towing her from the room. They Leave via the side door, and Alya calls “Bye Sabine,” as they pass the door to the boulangerie. Marinette waves  to her mum with her free hand as they pass, but cant seem to find it in herself to call out a farewell. The leave out the door and Alya immediately makes for her usual café. Luckily, it’s close by, just a 15 minute walk, so they don't have to bother with the métro or with a bus. 

They reach the café and Marinette starts fidgeting as they get closer to the café entrance and start to draw alongside her massive mural. Alya keeps going. She wants them to get inside before they can have any sort of talk, mostly because she knows that the mural will end up distracting her if she can see it. She pulls Marinette through the door and is halfway to the counter before she realises that she can probably let go. She slips her hand out of Marinette’s warm one, and coughs. “Grab us some seats?” she asks. “I’ll grab the drinks, I know what you like.” Marinette pouts. 

“What if I wanted something different?” she asks. 

“Marinette, you literally always want hot chocolate, and you’re not allowed caffeine after that time in our first year.” Marinette keeps her pout up for barely a moment before it collapses into s fond smile.  

“Okay, Al. Go get us drinks.” She rummages in her pocket for a moment before she pills out her wallet and tries to hand her a few euros. Alya grins and edges out of Marinette’s range. 

“Nope! I dragged you here, I’m paying. Besides, Sabine would never forgive me if I let you pay. Go on!” Alya grins her most annoying grin at Marinette and then turns toward the counter. She orders both their drinks, pays for the both of them, and then looks around to see where Marinette is sitting. Alya would like it to be known that Marinette is a terrible person, because the table she has chosen, while still inside the café, is right next to a window. The window faces directly out onto the mural, and Alya has the vague and ominous sense of her own impending doom. She sits down anyway, because she genuinely does want to spend time with her best friend. 

“So."

“So.” A pause. Alya watches Marinette’s face for a moment before she gets distracted by the mural. The bright colours draw her eye, and she gestures to it. “Why?”

 Marinette blinks. “Why…paint them? They’re superheroes Alya, how could I not.” Here, she frowns, “I wish Ladybug’s costume was more interesting though. It hurts me in my soul.” Alya bristles at this criticism of her favourite superhero. “You have to admit, it really is boring.”

“So which superhero has the best costume?” Alya asks, momentarily distracted from where she had been going. 

“Rena Rouge.” Marinette answers promptly, which, wow, okay. Alya is blushing, both at her reply and at how prompt it was. “Just look at it, the colours, the lines of it, its so fluid, and the tail is just such a nice touch.” Marinette is gesturing at the mural to illustrate her point, and Alya finds herself entranced by the her hands, the patterns they trace in the air. “I mean the colours are just gorgeous, and they suit her so well, and the tines of the suit! They're so practical, and yet so fluid, the design really adds interest to the entire thing, like the way it is patterned like a fox but also in such a stylish way, how it follows the curves of the body, and they make her look so gorgeous,” Here, she pauses to cough a little. Alya nods in agreement. “A-anyway, she looks really hot-I mean, it’s a nice costume, I wish mine-Ladybug’s was more like hers. I just, she’s really pretty.” Alya keeps nodding, more concerned with the way that Marinette is playing with the sugar in the middle of the table and the way her mouth shapes the words, and so she’s a little too preoccupied to really register what Marinette is actually saying. She’s never been great at multitasking, is really her problem. 

Marinette stutters to a stop when their drinks arrive at their table. Alya can almost feel her brain reboot itself as Marinette turns her attention away from Alya and over to the girl who is carrying their drinks. Alya accepts her coffee and reaches for the sugar, and her fingers brush against Marinette’s as she does so. Marinette squeaks, and rips her hand back, which is, admittedly, a bit unusual given how Marinette is normally so physically affectionate with her friends. As she stirs the sugar into her coffee, her eyes are once again drawn to the mural, and she realises Marinette never actually answered her original question. She opens her mouth to try again, but Marinette has already started chattering about customers that she’s had to serve that day. There are some pretty funny stories, and Alya settles in to listen to her best friend as she weaves a tale of retail woe and misadventure, sipping at her coffee and just enjoying Marinette.

She doesn't get the chance to return to her original question until they’re leaving the coffee shop. Marinette is still chatting, because she’s on a roll and clearly enjoying herself. Alya is tempted to hold her hand, so after a moment’s pause, she does. Marinette very unexpectedly stutters to a stop. Her hand is very warm and Alya can feel the way it flexes in her own. “Marinette,” she says, because now is her chance, “why do you paint them like that?” Marinette looks confused, so she elaborates. “Kissing. Like they’re…dating, or whatever.” Marinette chokes. 

“I…” She seems nervous all of a sudden. “I guess…it was mostly wishful thinking,” she blurts out. 

“What?” Alya is confused. Sure, Marinette does look a lot like Ladybug, but surely… 

Her train of thought stutters to a halt when Marinette reaches out to grab her arm and drag her into an alleyway. It’s one of those dim passages where tow buildings don't quite meet and it’s really only wide enough for one person so Marinette is very close and _wow, okay_. Alya has absolutely no objections to this slightly unexpected turn of events. Marinette is leaning in, and Alya is turning her face to meet her, and Marinette is…bending down. Away from her. Oh. 

Marinette is reaching for her omnipresent purse and flicking the clasp open. “Tikki?” she says. “Tikki, can you come out?” What the hell is she talking to? She finds out really quickly when a small pink thing flies out of Marinette’s purse and waves a paw at her. 

“I’m Tikki!” the small pink thing says. There’s a rustling from under her hair where Trixx has been hiding this entire time and then her kwami pops out from underneath with a delighted yell. 

“Tikki!” her recalcitrant kwami yells as she lunges in the direction of the Tikki, and this is really not good, because Marinette is gonna have so many questions and she’s not allowed to know and she looks up and Marinette is grinning fondly at her, which, what. SHe doesn’t look confused, or shocked, or even surprised. 

“Marinette?” The moment feels fragile, like they’re teetering on the edge of something they cant turn back on. 

Marinette takes a deep breath. “I’m Ladybug, Alya.” Before Alya has time to absorb that, she keeps talking. “I like you, Alya. As more than a friend. And when I painted those murals, I put what I wanted to see.” Alya can’t breathe. She reaches out to curl her arm around Marinette’s waist, and Marinette steps into the hold.

“Can I kiss you?” She hardly dares breathe, hoping for the answer she wants. Marinette doesn’t respond, and Alya’s shoulders sag. There’s a moment of stillness, as they share a breath, and then Marinette surges forward. She clasps Alya’s face in her hands and presses their lips together. Marinette kisses her fiercely and easily, like they’ve done this a thousand times. She winds her free hand up around Marinette’s shoulders and kisses back.

* * *

A mural shows up three days after they kiss and two after they become girlfriends. It’s Ladybug and Rena Rouge, same as the mural that started it all. This time, though, Ladybug has her hands clasping Rena’s face, kissing her fiercely on the lips, just like that first kiss they shared. Ladybug is draped in a bisexual flag, and Rena has a pansexual one tied around her waist instead of her tail. Its gorgeous, and obnoxious, and as she looks at it Alya can feel her heart melt. 


End file.
